If you use Facebook, and I do (and I am not the least bit ashamed to admit it because sometimes it’s my only social life), then you know about the “like” button. The “like”button is for those who are too lazy busy to leave an actual comment about someone’s post, but they want to acknowledge that they read it. It’s an abbreviated courtesy that says, “I find this partially worthy of my time.” And they may have even liked the content of the comment. But it gets confusing after that.
For example, if the content of the post was something like “Steelhead officially proclaimed to be extinct!”, a person might click “like” to acknowledge that they read the post, even though they clearly did not like the content of the message. Or sometimes a person will simply click “like” so that they’re notified of follow-up comments (voyeurism). But what is really needed in this instance is a “dislike” button, for obvious reasons. Let’s say you saw an outlandish post by someone, and you disagreed with it, you would not very well click the “like” button, but instead reach for the “dislike” button. That is, unless you cared to take the time to post a comment in reply.
There has been, for as long as I can recall, a public Facebook outcry for a “dislike” button. It’s not uncommon to see any number of people post a reply to a comment, “Where is the dislike button?!” or simply they type “dislike”. Well, recently I ventured out into the world wide web in search of information on the matter, and I came up with several pieces of information–one in particular that caught my eye: Firefox dislike button add-on.
For those who live in a closet, Firefox is a popular web browser. I use it instead of Safari (Apple’s proprietary browser that ships as part of the Apple OS). I can’t remember why, but some years ago I became dissatisfied with certain page displays on Safari, so I switched to Firefox. I’ve never had a regret. But I must say, I dislike Firefox’s “dislike” button add-on.
After installing the “dislike” button add-on recently, I thought I was on my way to good times and greater accuracy when acknowledging a comment without committing to the time and courtesy required to leave a comment. I was going to be a super cool “dislike” guy. Well, not quite so fast. First off, the “dislike” function is meaningless unless all your Facebook friends also use Firefox and have the “dislike” add-on engaged. Otherwise I am disliking only to myself, which seems oddly self-abusive. But I figured I could recruit at least a few people with whom I regularly banter back and forth, and we could have our own little dislike-fest.
I immediately began to regret my rash decision. Why? Well, first off at the top of every page there appeared one version or another of a really annoying banner ad. With sound. The damn thing chimed and talked to me every time I changed pages.
And who is Johanna and why does she want to be friends with me? She’s seemingly young enough to be my daughter. And I’m married. But I digress.
On the right sidebar, the stuff that’s usually there (stuff that I don’t really care about but isn’t bothersome) is replaced by another giant banner ad. These are “dislike ads”. Apparently baggage that comes with installing the “dislike” add-on. Trust me– they are aptly named, and you will dislike them.
Annoying, isn’t it? Makes you want to “dislike” it. Well, I disliked it to the point where I had to find out how to get rid of the damn things. Disabling the “dislike” button add-on is what must be done in order to regain serenity. Thankfully it’s an easy task, and here is how you do it:
1. Go to the main Firefox menu at the top of your screen. I will look like this if you’re on an Apple:
(if you’re on a Windows PC I have no idea what it might look like and you’re probably stuck using Internet Exploder anyway)
2. Click on the “Tools” tab. You’ll get a drop down menu. Scroll down to “Add-ons”:
3. Select “Add-ons”. This little gem of a page will appear. Other add-ons you’ve added will also appear, but the one you are after is the “FDislike 1.3.2” (or some other numerical version). To the right you will find a happy, magical “Disable” button. You want to click that. Hell, you may as well click “Remove”.
Good riddance, Firefox. I don’t know if it’s you or Facebook, or probably the two of you in cahoots with each other on this whole Dislike Ad crap, but it’s weaksauce. I dislike it. There is still a need for a “dislike” button, but until it is a feature built into Facebook’s interface, I’m left with actually taking the time to leave a comment when I dislike something.
And I’m a very busy man. Clearly.
Weak sauce indeed – I blindly followed you on the dislike journey, only to find the same young lady wanting to be my friend, and I wasn’t about to pull a Wien- wait, that doesn’t sound right. I tirelessly searched on Facebook for a way to remove the darn thing, which I hated at this point, quickly getting there from dislike. Tools, Tools..where is that on Facebook…??? Oh, yeah on the browser. I like Firefox, but I dislike annoying ads, so it’s gone, and I LIKE that.
A lesson was learned from this: The blind, leading the blind, or the blind following the blind, is just two blind people because two blinds do not make a positive.
Or something like that.
I’m not on Facebook myself, but occasionally I peak over my wife’s shoulder (with permission) and would agree that a dislike button is needed badly (well, at least for people in the 26-34 demo..I’m 32).
I just wrote a break-up post for John Gierach. Said I wasn’t too fond of the new book. No dislike button for the post, but the eerie silence says it all.
Old people like me (I’m 49 but don’t feel a day over 47) also need a dislike button. As for your break-up letter to Gierach, I won’t comment about it here. This is my blog, damnit, and it’s all about me. But I will happily jump over to http://upthepoudre.blogspot.com/2011/06/its-not-you-its-me.html and read with great interest.
It’s good to know that age does not play factor in determining the need for the dislike button. Apparently we all need help…ha!
….I meant no disrespect, and apologize for the shameless plug of my post 🙂
I forgot to thank you for the nice words and the press. Thanks!
No need, Sanders. Exposure to my 8 readers hardly constitutes “press”
Does ROFL apply here? I mean we are talking about social media. Clearly Kirk, you are too busy to type *dislike*. But really, I’m guessing it takes a bit of effort to pull tidbits from random places on the internet. How did you do that? Do you have some program that crops images from your desktop?
It’s a screen capture utility that allows me to grab a specified section of the screen image. Then I use my Photoshop mastery to crop exactly as I want it to appear. Not difficult at all, although I should probably have made it sound much more impressive than it really is. But that would have required time that I don’t have…
I have to admit… I normally don’t read your blogs (sorry :/ ) but the ones I do never fail to make me laugh! You are quite creative and witty! Maybe you can reach the Facebook guy AND then Oprah through this blog… 😉
Rod, I don’t expect that you would real your old man’s blog, but I’m flattered when you do. And I appreciate your lofty thinking- I’m sure that if you read this blog, eventually Zuckerberg and Oprah will, too.
First off Kirk, great stuff on all your posts. Like Rod, I can’t keep up with everyone in the bloggosphere, but when I drop in from time to time, I am always entertained.
Second, don’t play the age card, you young whippersnapper. I don’t care if one is 20 or 120, if you can read, post, share your life with wit and some wisdom, you are ageless in my eyes.
Yes ads can be annoying on all sites, but there is this cool plugin, installed the same way as you would install the “dislike” button called Ad Block (for firefox go to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/). It turns all of your webpages into a plain, boring vanilla experience with nothing but the publishers content. I find ads amusing on websites and use some browsers with ad block and some without. My favorite browser is Chrome.
Finally, I still don’t get how a guy who takes trips to Yellowstone to fish is calls himself “Unaccomplished”. You are far from unaccomplished. I don’t have a dislike button, so I cannot dislike the name. I do like the backward story telling Lucas reference though (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnjaUoR15dU).
Thanks again and best wishes for many fisshues.
Thanks for stopping by, Dean, and for the good words. I hear ya with regard to so many blogs and so little time: the internet has caused adult onset A.D.D. in me for sure. Thanks for the technical input- I like to see different ads. There’s a lot of really good stuff out there that I may not be aware I need until I see it advertised 😉
As for Unaccomplished, it’s a self-perception of sorts. I get my ass handed to me plenty often enough to call myself the Unaccomplished. And it’s all relative, like age. No matter how many fish I may catch, nearly everyone I fish with always outcatches me. If you ever find yourself out here on the left coast, let’s hook up. I’ll take you out for a little fishing on the Yakima River, and you’ll see why I make a claim to being the UA.
Good to have you chime in. Thanks.